A Confusion of Princes
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- £2.99
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- £2.99
Publisher Description
Khemri learns the minute he becomes a Prince that princes need to be hard to kill-for they are always in danger. Their greatest threat? Other Princes. Every Prince wants to become Emperor and the surest way to do so is to kill, dishonor, or sideline any potential competitor. There are rules, but as Khemri discovers, rules can be bent and even broken.
There are also mysteries. Khemri is drawn into the hidden workings of the Empire and is dispatched on a secret mission. In the ruins of space battle, he meets a young woman, called Raine, who challenges his view of the Empire, of Princes, and of himself. But Khemri is a Prince, and even if he wanted to leave the Empire behind, there are forces there that have very definite plans for his future.
'Space battles! Political intrigue! Engineered warriors! Techno-wizardry! Assassins! Pirates! Rebels! Duels! Secrets, lies, sex and True Love! What more can anybody ask for?' (Kirkus Reviews (starred review))
'Nix's fantasy has enough gadgets, escapes, battles, duels, deaths, and near-death experiences to keep die-hard adventure story readers enthralled. Happily, Khemri is also a thoughtful, winsome, and somewhat complex character, and his cheerfully self-deprecating tone and unpredictable choices make this romp entertaining on multiple levels' (Horn Book (starred review))
'Nix once again proves his mastery of speculative fiction [as] he manages to tell a tale that is grand in scope with vivid characters and imaginative technology' (School Library Journal (starred review))
'Khemri's first person point of view, along with a fast-paced, action- and plot-driven story, is sure to appeal to fans of the Star Wars universe and any number of first-person shooter video games' (ALA Booklist)
'Garth Nix's A CONFUSION OF PRINCES is YA FOUNDATION meets DUNE' (Tor.com)
'Exuberant and insightful. The rocket-powered pace and epic world-building provide an ideal vehicle for what is, at heart, a sweet paean to what it means to be human" (Kirkus Reviews (starred review))
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
In this exciting space opera, 19-year-old Khemri is a Prince of the Empire, one of 10 million Princes who rule much of the galaxy under a mysterious Emperor and an AI called the Imperial Mind. Raised in splendor by mind-controlled slaves, physically and psychically augmented, and virtually immortal, Khemri, like the other Princes, is intensely self-centered, assuming that he will someday become Emperor. A year into his formal training, however, he is sent on a mission to the fringe world of Kharalcha where, stripped of his augmentations, he must fight space pirates and the forces of the Empire. Falling in love with a naval reserve officer, Khemri takes the painful first step in learning what it means to be human. Writing in the mode of Robert A. Heinlein or Andre Norton (to whom the book is dedicated), Nix (the Keys to the Kingdom series) has crafted an adventure filled with hostile aliens, deadly spaceship battles, cybernetic wonders, humor (often involving Khemri's na vet ), and a touch of romance. The book is tied to a planned online MMORPG, Imperial Galaxy. Ages 13 up.